Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-08-01

resist or disregard them is very often
to loose everything. Oftentimes
Christ extended these invitations to
the whole people. Jerusalem, y
Jerusalem, how often have wisn-
ed to gather thee under my wings as a
hen gathereth and protecteth her
chickens, and thou wouldest not.
Whereupon he delivered them up to a
reprobate sense and inflicted upon
them the most terrible chastisements
which have fallen to the lot of hisso-
rians to chronicle. Tire fathers and
doctors of the church tef3 us that there
is a certain measure of sin, which.
when iris filled up the mercies Of God
are closed for the sinner, have
called upon and you would
not listen to me, says God
through his prophet; have
stretched out my hands and you
wouldn't regard me youhav despised
all my counsels and neglected my
reprehensions, therefore | will laug.l
at your destruction. Like the enemies
at Jerusalum, SO also the spirited
enemies surround the sinner; despoil
him OF all natural and supernatural re-
sources, and allowing no escape, until he
is reduced to that state of degradation
that he cannot make an active change OF
heart or an active repentance. The
saddest thing in this is that we do not
know what constitutes this measure
it is different for different persons.
The angels were cast out of heaven on
account of one sin of thought and
Adam and Eve were driven out of
paradise for one act of disobedi-
ence; and their souls are lost on
account of one unrepented mortal sin.
Tartullian calls this sin that fills up
the measure of ones iniquities decOrd-
forum salutis, because it destroys the
souls possibilities of salvation. No
wonder for the unrepenting sinner
tramples on the sources OF grace
rejects the principle of sanctification
which is the Holy Ghost who proves
the charity of God unto our hearts
reconciling and uniting us unto Him.
Whence impenitence is that sin
against the Holy Ghost (which accord
ing to Christ our Lord shall not be
forgiven in this world or the next.
From the above the preacher drew
two conclusions. That the work Of
our salvation which God and His
holy spirit is accomplishing in us
can never fail on Gods part.
If we do not hinder His merciful oper-
atoms in us, He will accomplish His
own work. He never forsakes those
whom He has once called. The wreck
of all thil gs comes not from God, but
from man. In our spiritual life God
is always pouring into our hearts more
and more of His grace. We may de-
feat the purposes of His mercy, but
the failure does not come from Him.
God never forsakes anyone who does
not forsake Him, as the Council of
Trent teaches, for the gifts and calls
of God are without refutation. The
second conclusion is that our salvation
will not fail on Gods part--it may fail
on ours. 1t is a fearful thing
to think that we have it in
our power to destroy the whole work
of God in our souls by our want of
correspondence with His grace. All
hours of the day the spirit of God is
calling us to come to correspondence
with His will, that We may be sancti-
fed. Il stand at the door and knock,
says the Holy Spirit, if any one shall
open the door l will go in to him.
The lights that have come down to us
from heaven all our life long are not
more abundant than the graces OF the
Holy Spirit which have been be-
slowed upon us to impart the knowl-
edge OF self and the knowledge of
God. The showers that Water the
earth are not more exuberant
than the graces of sanctity which
God has poured out into our hearts.
But how do we correspond with them ?
We know than If you strike note of
music all the active notes will vibrate.
Does your heart vibrate in correspond
ence and harmony with the voice of
God prompting you to holy thoughts,
good works, charitable actions, peace
with all and prayer and piety to God?
When the Lord called Samuel in his
childhood, at first he did not know the
Divine voice but when Eli had him
answer, "Speak, Lord, for thy servant
heareth, he Immediately obeyed, and
from that time he understood the
will of God and executed it.
Warned, therefore, by the history
of the Jewish calamities on account OF
their obstinacy in rejecting the favors
and visitations of God, let us deplore
our own shortcomings in this matter
and let us learn all alike that we have
all need; let us learn to understand
promptly and to correspond proper
tionately with the calls and inspira-
tions of God; let us not receive great
graces languidly, squander one-half of
them and correspond family with the
rest. Let us try with our whole heart
and soul to rise up and to obey when
the grace of God calls us to any higher
state or better action and say with
Samuel Speak Lord, for thy servant
heareth.'